The 2023 Summer Blockbuster Confidence Scale

Matt is joined by LightShed media analyst Rich Greenfield to discuss the newest and most dire stage of the linear TV meltdown, with multi-billion-dollar write-offs at Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount. They get into why these companies are only now acknowledging their TV assets are such a problem, debate whether or not anyone should be paying billions of dollars for NBA rights in 2025, and whether David Zaslav is on the hot seat (03:10). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the future of Apple Studios (27:17). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Rich Greenfield Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

9 Aug 202436min

Matt is joined by NYT staff reporter Brooks Barnes to discuss the latest Disney earnings report, which resulted in a drop in stock price after Disney reported a slowdown in Disney parks attendance. They talk about the state of the parks, including customer dissatisfaction with price hikes, Universal parks vs. Disney parks, and the upcoming D23 conference. They also discuss Disney's ability to reach profitability in streaming, incoming price hikes for Disney+ and Hulu, whether a looming recession could affect the next few quarters, and Bob Iger's perception among Disney fans (02:57). Matt finishes the show with a prediction on this weekend’s box office for ‘Borderlands' and 'It Ends with Us’ (26:04). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Brooks Barnes Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

7 Aug 202432min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss whether it's time to panic for the music industry after shares of Universal Music Group tanked due to a deceleration in streaming subscription revenue growth. Matt and Lucas wonder whether this is a crisis or just a blip and offer up ways music streamers should differentiate themselves to make more money and get back on the path of accelerated growth (03:10). Matt finishes the show with a prediction about the ratings for the 2024 Olympics (24:32). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Aug 202432min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw for the second ever IP Draft! They first revisit their last IP Draft, then draft a whole new team of intellectual properties that they believe will be the future stalwarts in Hollywood. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Juli 202435min

Matt is joined by Disney’s chief brand officer and president of marketing, Asad Ayaz, to talk about releasing Disney’s first R-rated Marvel film in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ how that changes the calculus for Disney from a marketing side, and how the third installment of 'Deadpool' made more money than its two predecessors. They also discuss broader topics, including how early you should start marketing a film, deciding what spoilers to leak in the lead-up to a movie, how to approach the MCU’s recent struggles as a film franchise from a marketing standpoint, and much more (02:49). Matt finishes the show with an opening box office prediction for M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ (28:02). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Asad Ayaz Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Juli 202432min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Warner Bros. Discovery’s lawsuit against the NBA after the NBA rejected WBD’s matching offer for a package of broadcasting rights. They look at the argument for both sides, and determine who has the best case. For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Juli 202429min

Matt is joined by Mark Lazarus, NBCUniversal Media Group chairman, to discuss the business behind broadcasting the Olympics, how these Games will feel different than the 2020 Olympics, what they learned from streaming an NFL playoff game on Peacock, Al Michaels’s AI broadcasting debut, and NBA rights (2:56). Matt finishes the show with an opening weekend box office prediction for ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ (28:22). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Mark Lazarus Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Juli 202436min

Matt is joined by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw to discuss Netflix’s strong second-quarter earnings, and how the company’s strong numbers might weaken in the next few years partially because of their underwhelming advertising revenue. They then ask a larger question: Is the race for streaming now down to two finalists—Netflix and YouTube (2:43)? Matt finishes the show with a prediction for which city will win hosting duties of the 2027 Sundance Film Festival (25:30). For a 20 percent discount on Matt’s Hollywood insider newsletter, ‘What I’m Hearing ...,’ click here. Email us your thoughts! thetown@spotify.com Host: Matt Belloni Guest: Lucas Shaw Producers: Craig Horlbeck and Jessie Lopez Theme Song: Devon Renaldo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

22 Juli 202432min